January 17, 2014

Cheesy Burger Bake

I really like all recipes that include tots. How can tots be bad?!  This recipe turned out really good and will be added to our list of favorites.


No-Stick Cooking Spray
1-1/2 pounds ground round beef 
1 can (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes, drained
1 envelope (1 oz each) dry onion soup mix
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 
1/2 cup ketchup
1 egg
4 cups frozen shredded potato puffs


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Brown meat and drain. Stir in drained tomatoes and dry soup mix. Reduce heat to low. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and set aside.


Beat ketchup and egg together in small bowl until well blended.  


Add to meat mixture; mix well. Spoon into prepared dish. Top with potato puffs, pressing lightly into meat mixture. Bake at 450 for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are browned




January 16, 2014

Lasagna Soup

It's been really cold here lately. Like 40 below zero cold. So that means soup time!  This recipe has a lot of ingredients but didn't take long to cook at all.  It was delicious but my noodles were a little chewy. The original recipe suggests cooking your noodles separately and placing them in bowl then pouring the soup over top. Might try that next time.



2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
8 oz. pasta
8 oz. ricotta
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese


Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown.  Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and oregano. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente.  Put a small amount of ricotta in each bowl and pour soup over top.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.





January 14, 2014

Hamburger Potato Casserole

When I went to the grocery store last week, the 10 lb bag of potatoes was cheaper than the 5 lb bag. Weird right?! But I got the 10 lb bag to save some money. Now I have lots of potatoes and don't know what to do with them. I searched for potato casseroles on pinterest and came across this recipe. It looked very yummy and I had all the ingredients already so I cooked it up for dinner that night.

1 lb. ground beef
3 cups thinly sliced potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a glass baking dish. In skillet, cook the onions and ground beef until done. Drain the grease. In a bowl, mix together the milk, soup, salt and pepper. Layer half of the potatoes, soup, cheese.



Top with the hamburger meat. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes, soup, hamburger meat and then the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.





January 13, 2014

Pork Chop Bake

This recipe is one that I just threw together one night after searching online for a pork chop recipe. There were a few ingredients that I either changed or removed completely, but it still turned out delicious. 


6 boneless pork chops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion
3 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (I used cubed hash browns)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place pork chops in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Layer with onions and potatoes. In a small bowl, whisk flour and milk until smooth; add soup. Pour over potatoes. Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until meat is tender.